SMC Networks Rapidox SF6 6100 User manual

SF6 6100 Pump Back Analyser
Instruction Manual
SMC
5840 S. Memorial Drive
Suite 208
Tulsa, Oklahoma
74145
Tel. [phone]
Fax. [phone]
[e-mail]

Warnings
 Electrical Shock Hazard
 Do NOT remove internal metal panel
 There are no user-serviceable parts in this unit
 Do not attempt to repair the analyser yourself
 Refer all servicing to qualified personnel
 The unit should not be exposed to extreme temperatures
< -5°C or > +50°C (< +23°F or > +122°F)
 Normal operating temperature is +5°C to +35°C (+41°F
or +95°F)
 Do not operate the unit with the carry case lid closed
 Avoid direct sunlight exposure
 Do not use liquid cleaners, aerosols or solvents to clean
the case
 Use a damp cloth for cleaning with the power cable
disconnected
 Do not use this equipment near water
 Only use fingers to touch and operate the display panel
 Make sure any ventilation slots and the fan on the side
panel are free of obstruction
 This unit is NOT designed for use in life support
situations or any use that is not specified by the
manufacturer.
 No responsibility can be held for injury or loss of life
caused by inappropriate use of this equipment.
 Always use a tube connected to the gas outlet (4) which
is vented to atmosphere when working with gases that
may by toxic or injurious.

Warnings
 HF & SO2 are toxic and can be fatal if inhaled
 HF & SO2 cause severe skin burns
 HF causes severe damage to the eyes
 H2S & CO are toxic and can be fatal if inhaled
 Read the MSDS sheets carefully before working with
these toxic gases
 HF and SO2 are extremely corrosive to the respiratory
tract
 Read the MSDS sheets carefully before working with
these corrosive gases
 H2S and CO are extremely flammable in high
concentrations
 Long term exposure to CO causes organ damage
 SO2, HF and H2S are harmful irritants to the eyes, skin
and respiratory tract even in small doses
 Very toxic to aquatic life
Contents
1 Introduction ........................................................................................................................................... 4
2 Technical Specification ...................................................................................................................... 5
3 Analyser Description .......................................................................................................................... 7
4 Getting Started ...................................................................................................................................... 8
4.1 Battery Charging .......................................................................................................................... 8
4.2 Advisory Screens ......................................................................................................................... 9
5 Performing a Test ............................................................................................................................. 10
5.1 Main Screen Display ................................................................................................................ 10
5.2 Setting the Test Parameters ................................................................................................. 10
5.3 Preparing the Analyser ........................................................................................................... 11
5.4 Sampling ....................................................................................................................................... 13
5.5 Results and Finishing .............................................................................................................. 14
5.6 Notes about Dewpoint Measurements ............................................................................. 15
6 Operational Description ................................................................................................................. 17
6.1 Main Screen................................................................................................................................. 17
6.2 Live Graph Display ................................................................................................................... 18
6.3 Line Purge Option ..................................................................................................................... 18

6.4 Pump Back Option .................................................................................................................... 20
6.5 Start Delay ................................................................................................................................... 21
6.6 Working with Pre-Loaded Test Parameters .................................................................. 22
6.7 Working with SF6 and N2 mixtures .................................................................................... 23
6.8 Working with SF6 and Air mixtures................................................................................... 24
6.9 Working with SF6 and CF4 mixtures .................................................................................. 25
7 Rapidox Menu System .................................................................................................................... 27
7.1 Calibrate ....................................................................................................................................... 27
7.2 Data-Logging .............................................................................................................................. 31
7.3 Auto Abort ................................................................................................................................... 34
7.4 Sampling Modes ........................................................................................................................ 35
7.5 Timed Mode ................................................................................................................................ 36
7.6 Continuous Mode ...................................................................................................................... 38
7.7 Set Units ....................................................................................................................................... 39
7.8 Date & Time ................................................................................................................................ 39
7.9 Passwords ................................................................................................................................... 40
8 Options Menu System ..................................................................................................................... 43
8.1 Data Transfer ............................................................................................................................. 43
8.2 System Control .......................................................................................................................... 47
8.3 Gas Cylinder Testing ................................................................................................................ 48
8.4 Auto N2 System Clean .............................................................................................................. 49
8.5 Language ...................................................................................................................................... 49
8.6 Screen Colour ............................................................................................................................. 50
8.7 Screen Brightness ..................................................................................................................... 51
8.8 Diagnostics .................................................................................................................................. 51
8.9 Restore .......................................................................................................................................... 52
8.10 About ......................................................................................................................................... 52
9 Troubleshooting ................................................................................................................................ 53
10 Warranty .............................................................................................................................................. 56
10.1 Conditions of Warranty: .................................................................................................... 56
1 Introduction
The Rapidox SF6 6100 Pump Back is a battery-powered “zero emission” SF6 multigas
analyser capable of measuring multiple gases simultaneously in a rugged and portable case.
Depending on the configuration the analyser can measure up to eight parameters including
sulphur hexafluoride (0-100% SF6), sulfur dioxide (0-100ppm* SO2), dew-point (-
60/20°Cdp H2O), carbon tetrafluomethane (20-80% CF4), hydrogen fluoride (0-10ppm HF),
air (0-100%), carbon monoxide (0-100ppm) and hydrogen sulphide (0-100ppm). In
addition, the SF6 compartment gas pressure is displayed on-screen as well as some other
selectable parameters.
* 0-500ppm is available on request

The sample gas can be used if the inlet pressure is between 0.3 bar and 10.0 bar.
The analyser has a full pump back facility allowing any gas stored inside the analyser to be
re-pressurised and returned to the SF6 compartment. The sample hose and storage bag can
be vacuum purged before testing to ensure no mixing of contaminated gas occurs. During
the testing cycle no SF6 can escape into the atmosphere.
The sampled gas is stored inside a special flexible bag held within the analyser. This bag
inflates and deflates during the testing cycle and can be used to store any SF6 that is not to
be pumped back afterwards. The bag is constructed from a material that is highly resistant
to moisture or air penetration. Various safety features are in place to prevent the bag from
over-filling during use.
The analyser has a built-in PC and all functions are accessed via a 7” touch screen panel.
The analyser is fully automatic and will run in various sampling modes where sample gas is
drawn into the analyser via a special FEP-lined sample hose and DILO couplings. The gases
pass through the various sensors and data is processed and displayed on the screen. The
analyser is fitted with a printer, alarms, data-logging functions and USB output.
The portability of the analyser is achieved by means of two lithium battery packs (one for
the main operation and one for the pump back) which can be charged on any worldwide
mains power. The unit will run for up to eight hours on the battery before recharging is
required. The unit will also run directly on mains power while the battery is recharging.
Up to twenty pump back cycles can be performed on a single charge.
2 Technical Specification
Rapidox SF6 6100 Pump Back Analyser
Mains Voltage for charging 90-260Vac 50/60 Hz
Main Lithium Battery Operation Up to 8 hours on a single charge
5-7 hours to fully charge from flat
Pump back Lithium
Battery Operation
Up to 20 pump back cycles on a single charge
(depending on the final gas pressure)
5-7 hours to fully charge from flat
Analyser dimension 570mm (w) X 470mm (d) X 280mm (h)
Weight 21 kg without accessories
Gas Storage Bag 5 Litres capacity at sea level
Sample Time 8 minutes
Display 7” full colour PC touch screen

Warm up time 15 minutes at 20°C
Normal operating conditions
Temperature -10°C to 40oC
Humidity 10 to 90% RH
Pressure 800 to 1100 mbar absolute.
Minimum Gas Inlet Pressure 0.3 bar
Maximum Gas Inlet Pressure 10 bar
Maximum Pump Back Pressure 10.5 bar
Data Output Via USB memory stick or thermal printer
Sampling Timed or Continuous modes
SF6 Sensor (infra red) 0-100% scale
+/- 0.5% full scale accuracy
SO2 Sensor (electrochemical) 0-100ppm (or 0-500ppm) scale
+/- 2% full scale accuracy
H2O Sensor (polymer)
-60 to +20°Cdp
+/- 2°Cdp of reading accuracy
Optional display corrected to 20°C available
CF4 Sensor (balance) >20 <80% scale
calculated as a balance gas
HF Sensor (electrochemical) 0-10ppm scale
+/-2% full scale accuracy
Air (electrochemical O2 sensor) or N2
(balance)
0-100% scale
+/-2% full scale accuracy
CO & H2S Sensor (electrochemical) 0-1000ppm scale
+/- 2% full scale accuracy
Calibration Calibration by the user using zero and span gases.
Not H2O sensor*
Data-logging Continuous on-board data-logging downloadable via
USB
Fuse 1 (main PC) T3.15A H250V 20mm anti surge
Fuse 2 (compressor) T16A H250V 20mm anti surge

3 Analyser Description
Figure1: Layout of the SF6 6100 Pump Back Analyser
1. Main display and touch screen menu system
2. Thermal printer
3. Sample gas inlet (via closed coupled fitting)
4. Earth fixing point
5. Gas flow indicator on the display
6. Power on/off switch
7. LED battery charging lights
8. USB memory stick port
9. Fuse holders (see Table 1)
10. Mains inlet
11. 18V charging point (using special vehicle charging adapter)
12. Service Connection Point
13. Ventilation Slot
14. Cooling Fan
15. Bypass Port
1
2
4
3
6
7
8
9
10
5
11
12
13
1
4
1
5

4 Getting Started
The two labelled fuses will be removed for transportation safety reasons. There are two
fuses located in fuse holders labelled with the values listed in Table 1. This completely
isolates the lithium batteries. These fuses are different and must not be mixed up. The
fuses should be inserted into the correct holders (9) and fixed into position before first use.
Remove the fuses temporarily if you are transporting the analyser by air. If you require the
analyser to be earthed during operation, please connect your earth lead to the earth fixing
point (4).
Open the Peli-case fully and switch on the Rapidox using the switch (6). The analyser
screen will boot up and the display will show readings from the sensors after
approximately sixty seconds.
Note that if the analyser was previously being used in “Continuous” mode, then the
warning picture shown in Figure 2 number 5 will be displayed on the screen during boot
up. This is to remind you that the gas is free flowing out of the bypass port, and a separate
gas recovery system should be attached.
4.1 Battery Charging
The analyser can run on battery OR mains power. When on mains power and the battery is
charging the LEDs (7) will show a red colour. This will eventually turn orange and finally
green when the unit is fully charged. There is an on-screen battery life meter which shows
the remaining battery life and indicates if the unit is charging or not. It takes between five
and seven hours to fully charge a flat battery depending on operational circumstances.
To charge the battery, attach the IEC mains lead to the mains socket on the side of the
analyser (10). Alternatively, an optional vehicle charger can be used with the 18V charging
point (11). Note that you must leave the lid open when on charge as the cooling fan will
operate to vent the battery compartment.
Lithium batteries need to be charged carefully and the analyser is fitted with various safety
features to make sure the batteries do not over heat during a charge. The temperature of
the batteries is measured and should it exceed safe limits the charger circuit will disable
itself. The LED will flash slowly to indicate it is too hot to charge. This may occur if the unit
is used in very hot countries. Please place the unit in a cool location such as an air
conditioned office to charge correctly.
When the unit is running on battery power the LCD indicators (7) remain switched off until
the mains lead is re-connected.

4.2 Advisory Screens
During sampling, line purge and pump back the analyser checks to see if the sample line
hose is correctly fitted to ensure that the cycle works correctly and doesn’t allow any
contamination of the compartment gas with air, or any SF6 is allowed to escape into the
atmosphere. Various simple instructions are displayed on-screen to make it easy to follow
the correct sequence. These are as follows:
1) Shows how to correctly set up the analyser
for a line purge (line must be connected to
the Rapidox but NOT to the gas
compartment)
2) Shows that the Rapidox sample line should
be connected to the pressurised gas
compartment ready to take a sample
3) Questions if the sample line doesn’t appear
to be connected to anything that has gas
pressure i.e. the sample line has become
detached
4) Questions if the operator has disconnected
the sample hose from the gas compartment
before attempting a line purge
5) Analyser is running in continuous mode so
the bypass outlet should be connected to a
separate gas recovery system
6) Asks for the external gas recovery system to
be disconnected once continuous mode is
deactivated

Figure 2: Examples of different on-screen help messages you may encounter during operation. The screen
message includes text prompts explaining what action to perform.
5 Performing a Test
With the analyser switched on and ready, use this guide to prepare the machine for testing
and complete an analysis. All screens and menus are soft keys so to change or access
anything you gently press the screen with your fingertips. Pressing over the name of a gas
will open a live graph screen (see 6.2) showing the progress of the sample over time.
5.1 Main Screen Display
Figure 3: Main screen just after boot up. The H2O sensor is still warming up which takes approximately 60
seconds. Note that not all sensors may be present in your equipment
5.2 Setting the Test Parameters
Timed tests are fixed at 8 minutes long to complete the testing correctly without filling the
bag to capacity. To set this option press MENU – SAMPLING and enter these parameters as
shown in Figure 4. Full details of this menu option are in section 7.4.
Gas Storage Bag
Capacity
Battery Status
Analyser
Battery Status
Pump Back
Tap on the
gas
of
interest to produce
a live time graph
(6.2)
User Editable
Test Location
Analyser Status
Message
See section 6.4 for a
full description of
how to perform a
Pump-Back cycle
Gas inlet pr
essure
meter
See Section 6.3 for a
full description of
how to Line Purge
User Editable IEC / CIGRE
Test Parameter
Icon for using “Gas
Bottle” mode
See section
8.3
Flow Gauge
Indicator